Ratnapura District Research Articles

Reptile diversity of a fragmented lowland rain forest patch in Kukulugala, Ratnapura district, Sri Lanka

Official journal of the Taprobanica Private Limited, Homagama, Sri Lanka and Research Centre for Climate Change, University of Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia.Taprobanica is no longer accepting submissions on SLJOL. To submit your manuscript, please go to http://taprobanica.org/

Profit efficiency of smallholder rubber farmers in Kegalle, Kalutara and Ratnapura districts

Profit efficiency of smallholder rubber farmers in Kegalle, Kalutara and Ratnapura districts

The Significance of Capital Assets in Moving Out of Poverty

This article investigates the importance of capital assets in moving out of poverty by reviewing the Samurdhi (Prosperity) Development Programme (SDP) implemented to eradicate poverty of Sri Lanka in 1995. One hundred and seventy beneficiaries from a randomly selected sample of the Ratnapura district were categorized into five poverty levels: extreme poor, poor, vulnerable non-poor, viable and sustainable households based on subjective range of income differences around two official poverty lines of the district for 1995 and 2009. A transition matrix estimated to examine households’ possible movements between these five poverty levels during 1995–2009 confirmed that the net impact of the poverty reduction initiatives of the SDP is highly questionable. However, the results of two multinomial logistic regressions estimated to investigate the relationship between a household’s ability to move out of poverty and the growth of its capital assets confirmed that there is a higher probability for a household to get out of poverty when its assets base is developed. A main policy message is that it is imperative for the SDP to reassessing and reformulating its policy strategies to strengthen assets base of beneficiaries of the programme in order to alleviate poverty.

Reasons for the Improvement of Labor Productivity in Tea Plantations after Privatization with Special Reference to the Estate Laborers in the Ratnapura District

This paper attempts to discuss the reasons for the improvement of labor productivity after the privatization. This study mainly based on the primary data gathered from the laborers employed in tea estates in the Ratnapura district in Sri Lanka. 120 of laborers are selected representing 40 laborers from 03 privatized estates situated in the Ratnapura District. Data was mainly collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed qualitatively and quantitative techniques. The study reveals that the financial benefits i.e. salary, allowances, salary increments, overtime and loan facilities and non-financial facilitieswelfare facilities like housing, education, health, daycare centers, transport, electricity etc. provided by the management company for laborers are highly affected to the improvement of labor productivity through the increase of labor satisfaction. Labor satisfaction regarding financial and non-financial benefits was relatively very high. On the other hand, strict management and application of new technology for the factories affect the improvement of labor productivity. Finally, it can be concluded that the labor productivity in tea plantation sector has improved after privatization due to the improvement of labor satisfaction, strict management and application of new techniques of the private companies. Key Words: Labor productivity; Privatization; Financial benefits; Non-financial facilities; Labor satisfaction. DOI: 10.4038/suslj.v7i1.1842 Sabaragamuwa University Journal vol. 07 no.1, 2007 pp 37-47

Managerial Deficiencies in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Sri Lanka: An Empirical Evidence of SMEs in the Ratnapura District

This paper discuses the basic managerial deficiencies of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Sri Lanka with special reference to the SMEs in Ratnapura District. The study is mainly based on primary data gathered from 57 of SMEs, which were selected from 287 SMEs using stratified random sampling method. Data was gathered using a structured questionnaire and interviewing labourors, officers of various SME supportive organizations and observing SMEs. The study was supplemented with the data collected from secondary sources as well. Data was analyzed using qualitative and quantitative techniques. The study found that even basic management functions like planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling are not properly practiced in most of the SMEs. Most SMEs do not have clear plans for future development, production process, marketing, financial activities etc. Owners (entrepreneurs) of most of SMEs act as managers handling all the responsibilities, which are not delegated to others. Therefore, most of the SMEs do not function efficiently due to the delay of decision-making process, poor organization, poor staffing, weak controlling and directing. Financial management of most of the SMEs is found to be very weak. Most SMEs do not calculate total expenses, total revenue, profit etc, for they do not keep any account systematically. Most SMEs do not provide any welfare facilities and retirement benefits like EPF and ETF to encourage labourers. Poor production planning and production process, weak practices of marketing and poor quality of the products are the other deficiencies of SMEs. Performance of many SMEs is very poor due to the deficiencies in management. Poor knowledge in management of entrepreneurs causes the managerial deficiencies. Therefore, SMEs cannot judge problems and barriers coming from internal and external industrial environment. The paper concludes that the growth of SMEs can be accelerated by developing managerial knowledge of entrepreneurs of the SMEs. DOI: 10.4038/suslj.v6i1.1692 Sabaragamuwa University Journal, vol 6, no. 1, pp 93-105

A field assessment of the factors affecting horse hair blight (<i>Marasmius equicrinis</i>) in tea in the Ratnapura District

Horse Hair Blight (HHB) is an epiphytic fungus which is not considered phytopathogenic. However, under the hot and humid conditions prevailing in the low country, its proliferation in a habitat like tea bush canopies can cause heavy physical hindrance in major operations such as plucking and pruning. The objectives of this study were to identify the major contributory factors that influence the incidence of HHB in tea gardens while assessing the level of adoption of the recommended remedial measures. This study was conducted in tea gardens that go under water during floods and that do not, in Nivitigala and Elapatha Tea Inspector Ranges in Ratnapura. Primary and secondary data were collected and a field survey using pre tested structured questionnaires by visiting 104 randomly selected tea-small-holder-farmers. The severity of the problem in each field was assessed using the field disease key index and categorized as per the severity of disease spread. Approximately 86% of the surveyed sample has recorded HHB at different intensities. However, a majority of the cases were at moderate levels. Environmental factors seem to be the most important determinants to the occurrence of HHB. Highly significant relationships were seen between the HHB and shade level, soil texture, age of the crop and the type of cultivar. No yield reductions were observed due to HHB. However, it was found to affect the bush health. More than the social standing of the individual, the economic reasons, extent of skills of the available labour and the lack of awareness has an effect on the prevalence of the HHB. Keywords: HHB-Horse Hair Blight; Tea; Low Country; Sri Lanka DOI: 10.4038/jas.v4i2.1645 The Journal of Agricultural Sciences , 2009, vol. 4, no. 2 pp.59-66

Libellago corbetisp. nov. from Sri Lanka (Odonata: Chlorocyphidae)

Abstract Libellago corbeti sp. nov. (holotype ♂: Sri Lanka, Ratnapura District, near Kudawe, 6.26°N, 80.25°E, 03 vii 2007, to be deposited in the Sri Lanka National Museum, Colombo) is described and figured. Its phenotype does not resemble that of any other Libellago species. Habitat characteristics and species behaviour are briefly outlined. Keys to males and females of Libellago species in Sri Lanka are provided.

The Relationship Between Nonqualified Allopathic Medical Practitioners and Their Patients

According to unpublished data issued by the Sri Lankan health authorities, approximately 40,000 individuals who are not medically qualified are engaged in allopathic medical practice in many parts of the country. Despite the existence of restrictive legislation for the regulation of allopathic medical practice, distribution of allopathic drugs, and their prescription, the presence of nonqualified allopathic medical practitioners (NQAMPs) shows that such legislation is not wholly effective. This paper does not look at the range of factors that creates the environment for the NQAMPs to continue practicing medicine. The main objective of this paper is to present a sociological analysis of the practitioner-patient relationship mainly from the viewpoint of patients who have consulted NQAMPs. Ten NQAMPs who practice allopathic medicine in the Ratnapura district and 350 patients who sought treatment from them were selected for the study. The in-depth interview method and observation method were used to collect qualitative information. A significant feature among those who visited NQAMPs for treatment was that 94% of employed patients were earning their living on a day-to-day basis. Of these, 88% had no schooling at all or had only a primary level education. Also among the patients who consulted NQAMPs was a small group (0.3% of 350) of those engaged in professions such as teaching and clerical work who earned regular monthly salaries and a few (0.5%) who had tertiary and higher education. This paper reveals the success of the NQAMPs in establishing a close relationship with these patients as compared to the allopathic medical practitioners in the formal healthcare sector.

Analysis of cost of milk production in Ratnapura district

The success of Dairy farming, as a form of business, depends on profitable milk production and marketing. The price of milk depends on various factors such as demand, supply, cost of production, location of the area and marketing channel. Profit margin in the dairy industry has been considered to rest on the difference between the cost of production per liter of milk and the average farm gate price for milk. The objective of this study was to identify the factors affecting the cost of milk production in Ratnapura District and suggest a reasonable and appropriate price for a liter of milk produced by dairy farmers in the district considering the cost of production of milk. A field survey was conducted using a pre-tested questionnaire on the cost of milk production in the area. Two hundred and fifty dairy farmers were selected from the district for the study by using simple random sampling method. The highest amount of cost has been spent for labour. It was estimated to be 44.1% of the total cost while 41.7% of the total cost represents the feeding cost. The rest of the cost is due to other operational costs, like cost of depreciation of initial investment (3.1%), cost of veterinary services (3.2 %), cost of building repairs (0.6%), cost of death and losses (4.9 %) and breeding & miscellaneous costs (2.4 %). The costs of production of a liter of milk by an average farmer, when his family labour costs are included and excluded were Rs. 25.50 and Rs. 14.60 respectively. The average price paid to all farmers surveyed was Rs. 28.75 per liter of milk. It greatly varies with fat content of the milk. Average herd size of the area was four animals per farm. Average milking cows per farm were 2.8.It is recommended to have a minimum price of Rs.30 per liter of milk to make dairying a fairly profitable for farmers in the area.

Serendibite from Sri Lanka

from secondary deposits in the Ratnapura area in the second half of the 1990s increases the number of gems containing essential boron from this island (tourmaline, dumortierite, boron-rich kornerupine [or prismatine, according to recent mineralogical studies], and sinhalite). To date, serendibite has been reported from 11 localities: Sri Lanka (type locality near Kandy), United States (three occurrences), Russia (two occurrences), Ukraine, Tanzania, Canada, and Madagascar (two localities). At all of these localities, serendibite occurs in metasomatic high-temperature calc-silicate rocks (skarns), mostly of granulite facies (Grew et al., 1990, 1991a,b; Grew, 1996). The occurrence of gemquality serendibite crystals in secondary deposits near Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, is consistent with the derivation of these gem gravels from granulite-facies metamorphic rocks. According to modern mineralogical examination (see, e.g., Kunzman, 1999), serendibite is a triclinic Ca-Mg-Al-B-silicate which can also contain distinct amounts of Fe2+ and Fe3+. Since 1997, gemologist and gem dealer D. Palitha Gunasekera of Ratnapura has reported encountering three gem-quality samples of serendibite, weighing 0.35, 0.55, and 0.56 ct as faceted stones( pers. comm., 1997–2001). A merchant in Kolonne showed him the first (smallest) sample as a 1.25 ct pebble. This rough sample was said to originate from Ginigalgoda, near Kolonne in the Ratnapura district. Mr. Gunasekera submitted the 0.35 ct stone faceted from this piece of rough (figure 1) to the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory for identification in autumn of 1996 (Reinitz and Johnson, 1997). It was subsequently purchased by one of the present authors (EG) and identified independently as serendibite by KS in 1997, also using X-ray powder diffraction. A review By Karl Schmetzer, George Bosshart, Heinz-Jurgen Bernhardt, Edward J. Gubelin, and Christopher P. Smith

Petrology and Fluid Inclusions in Garnetiferous Gneisses and Charnockites from Weddagala (Ratnapura District, Sri Lanka)

Fluid inclusions have been studied in garnetiferous gneisses and igneous charnockites from Weddagala, Sri Lanka. Fluid distribution (brines in metasediments, in charnockites) compares well with other regions, notably Bamble (southern Norway). For the brines, it suggests an ultimate pre-metamorphic origin and for , initial entrapment during metamorphic crystallization. The fluid density has been completely reset during post-metamorphic evolution. Maximum densities indicate much lower pressure than those at peak metamorphic conditions recorded by the solid assemblages (about 5 vs. 8 kbars). The evolution of densities with time suggests a post-metamorphic trajectory concave toward the pressure axis ("Adiabatic uplift") and local redistribution and reequilibration of inclusions between 500 and 600°C. Fluid movements were mostly limited to grain scale (millimeter order of magnitude) and did not transgress the lithological boundaries.

Peridot from Ratnapura District, Sri Lanka

Peridot from Ratnapura District, Sri Lanka